A song is a
musical composition intended to be performed by the
human voice. This is often done at
distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various
form
Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens.
Form also refers to:
* Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter dat ...
s, such as those including the repetition and variation of sections.
Written words created specifically for music, or for which music is specifically created, are called
lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer ...
. If a pre-existing poem is set to composed music in classical music it is an
art song
An art song is a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such son ...
. Songs that are sung on repeated pitches without distinct contours and patterns that rise and fall are called
chant
A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of note ...
s. Songs composed in a simple style that are learned informally "by ear" are often referred to as
folk song
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
s. Songs that are composed for professional singers who sell their recordings or live shows to the
mass market
The term "mass market" refers to a market for goods produced on a large scale for a significant number of end consumers. The mass market differs from the niche market in that the former focuses on consumers with a wide variety of backgrounds wi ...
are called